AFL ROUND 8 2006: COLLINGWOOD V GEELONG;
MOONEY BACK TO TAKE ON THE WOBBLERS; MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM LIST Ben Jensen 18 May 2006

By Ben Jensen BIG HAIRY CAT CAMERON MOONEY returns from
suspension, meaning Charlie Gardiner will have to wait at least another
week to play his 50th AFL game.

For the Wobblers, skipper Nathan Buckley and ruckman-forward
Cameron Cloke replace Jason Cloke and Harry O'Brien. Collingwood has recalled
Cloke to help ruckman Josh Fraser face off against Geelong's skipper Steven
King and Brad Ottens. King and Ottens ruled the roost last week, and Collingwood
coach Mick Malthouse knows it.

MARK 'BOMBER' THOMPSON becomes the club's 2nd longest
serving coach this weekend - passing Malcolm Blight's record of 145 games.
Thompson took over in 2000, and would need to stay until at least 2013
to have any chance of passing record holder and club legend Reg Hickey,
who coached 304 games.

TIP? CATS BY 23 POINTS

BRAD OTTENS' RETURN TO FORM HAS THE
WOBBLERS WORRIED; THEY'VE BROUGHT IN ANOTHER RUCKMAN IN CAMERON CLOKE
TO HELP JOSH FRASER COMBAT THE KING/OTTENS COMBINATION

"ONE WEEK IS A LONG TIME IN FOOTBALL". One week
sure is a long time in football.. Saturday week ago at 2:09PM most of
us would've been quite satisfied with where things were at. Not so now..
on Friday night the Cats suffered their second defeat in succession, at
the hands of lowly ranked Collingwood by a touch over four goals. The
Pies now have three wins in a row for a total of four, the win over the
Cats giving them the top two scalps along with West Coast.

Henry Playfair was a late withdrawal, replaced by Cameron
Thurley. Another Cameron, Mooney, didn't get reported but did cost his
team a goal from a fifty-metre penalty but should play next week. Josh
Hunt was reported for striking Collingwood's Chris Egan. Gary Ablett spent
some time off the field with what appeared to be a groin injury.

David Johnson will miss at least one and maybe two months
with a severe hamstring injury (which The Cattery is currently inflicted
with!) It comes at a bad time for David and the club; he'd finally
cemented a spot in the senior lineup after being a fringe player for the
last few seasons. Johnson debuted in the same game as Gary Ablett in round
one 2002, and promptly broke his ankle.

The Cats never appears to be in the match, and while the
Magpies certainly played very good football, especially Alan Didak, Geelong
did not do themselves any favours in the second quarter. The Cats trailed
by two goals at quarter time after kicking a few late goals, but in the
second quarter could manage only one goal, compared to the Magpies' six
goals four behinds.

In the second half the Cats improved. In the third quarter
Geelong tried but each time the margin got within thirty points, the Magpies
kicked another goal. By late in the third term it appeared only a miracle
could see the Cats win this match. A harsh fifty-metre penalty awarded
against the big, hairy cat Cameron Mooney snuffed out what hopes we had
of mounting a final quarter comeback.

Most Geelong fans would have excused themselves to do
other more worthwhile pursuits than watch their team go down, but the
Cats did mount a comeback of sorts, at one stage getting to within about
two goals. But Collingwood were deserving victors by twenty-five points
and take great form into their once-feared month of June.

The Cats, on the other hand, after suffering defeats by
the Dockers at home and now the Magpies, face the rampant Adeladie Crows
at Skilled Stadium. The Crows leapfrogged the Cats on the ladder, and
now sit in third position behind Melbourne. A win over the Crows and the
Cats' season's back on track; a loss and the one-time premiership favourites
find themselves pushing the proverbial uphill to be a legitimate contender.